Romania to hold first-ever European elections

For the first time since joining the EU in 2007, Romanians are being asked to vote for their MEPs on Sunday (25 November). But turnout is expected to be low as the country focuses on internal political issues, with a referendum to reform the country’s electoral system held on the same day.

“This is an important and historic date for the Romanian people,” Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering stated ahead of the vote. “The European elections will be a further significant step in Romania’s transformation and integration into the EU.”

However, analysts say that Romanians are showing little interest in the elections, with low-key campaigns grabbing little media attention, and expect voter turnout to be very low when voters head for the polls this Sunday. On the same day, Romanians will be asked to vote in a referendum to change the electoral system.

Since 1 January, Romania has had 35 representatives in the European Parliament, who were nominated by the Romanian assembly on a “temporary” basis. Some had already served as “observers” in the European Parliament since 2005, ahead of Romania’s accession.

The EU’s Accession Treaty for Bulgaria and Romania stipulates that the newcomers should elect their representatives before the end of 2007. Bulgaria already voted for its 18 MEPs in May. Generally, MEPs serve a five-year term, but the newly elected representatives will only serve two years, until the next EU-wide European elections in June 2009.

The elections were originally scheduled for May this year, but had to be postponed due to an internal political row (see EURACTIV 13/03/2007). Since joining the EU club this year, Romania has been shaken by political infighting, triggered by a rivalry between the country’s Prime Minister Calin Popescu and President Traian Basescu.

The Commission’s progress report in June (see EURACTIV 27/06/2007) highlighted little progress in the area of corruption, judicial reform and the fight against organised crime. The EU executive is to issue new an interim report in January, with a full annual report to follow in July 2008.

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